VCN – On December 14, the General Department of Vietnam Customs held a face-to-face and online conference on digital transformation. The conference was attended by representatives of Korea Customs, Japan Customs, departments under the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Information and Communication, departments under the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) and local customs departments.
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| The conference at the GDVC’s headquarters. |
Towards paperless customs
In the opening speech, Director of Customs IT and Statistics Department Le Duc Thanh reported achievements in IT application and digital transformation of the Customs sector, orientations, and development goals in the next period, especially the key contents and solutions in the GDVC’s Digital Transformation Plan to 2025, with an orientation to 2030.
Mr. Le Duc Thanh said that the Customs sector sets goals in the digital transformation plan, which promotes digital transformation in customs operations in a comprehensive manner with the digital transformation to serve import-export businesses, ministries and sectors in the implementation of the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window to accomplish the target of 100% of customs procedures processed online.
The Customs sector strives to complete Digital Customs by 2025, including comprehensive digital transformation in customs management with the IT system that has a high degree of integration, openness and meets international standards and the conditions for automatic processing of all customs processes, implements customs procedures anytime, anywhere, by any devices and the needs on information using based on the application of the latest technological advances of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The sector expects to reach targets stated in the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 749/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2020 on the approval of the “National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with orientation to 2030” related to the functions and duties of the Customs sector.
The key goals for customs operation include promoting digital transformation in customs operations in a comprehensive manner with the digital transformation to serve import-export businesses, ministries and sectors in the implementation of the National Single Window and the ASEAN Single Window towards centralization, modernization, and automation of the customs management, consulting and custom inspection and supervision.
The Customs streamlines and digitalized customs procedures, integrates and automates technical operations; promotes pre-inspection and post-clearance audit, reduces the inspection rate during the customs process; applied technological advances of the 4th Industrial Revolution with modern equipment to minimize human intervention in the customs clearance process.
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| The UNI-PASS System is introduced at the Conference. Photo: T.Binh. |
Specific road map and solution
At the conference, representatives of Korea and Japan Customs administrations introduced the development and modernization process of each country’s Customs, especially the experience in digital transformation and performance of smart customs.
Through the UNI-PASS system, Korea Customs administration has recorded strong development in IT application by building a big database system, implemented the Single Window and used of modern equipment to both ensure management and facilitate trade.
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| The Smart Customs Initiative 2020 of Japan Customs. |
Meanwhile, a representative of Japan Customs shared the implementation of digital transformation and building of smart customs set out in the initiative “Smart Customs 2020 announced in June 2020 and updated in November 2022”.
Japan Customs sets three key tasks, including realizing a safety and secure society; collecting appropriate and fair customs duties and domestic consumption taxes; and promoting further trade facilitation. The representative of Japan Customs said that these are 3 common missions of the customs.
To accomplish these goals, Japan Customs focuses on solutions such as developing the NACCS System; implementing an e-Gates system to facilitate the entry of passengers at international airports; and encouraging cashless payment.
At the Conference, representatives of the two leading development Customs administrations in Asia and the world said that in order to successfully implement digital transformation, building smart customs, it requires close and effective cooperation of the customs administrations. Ministries, sectors, as well as the business community should make specific plans, roadmaps and solutions.
In addition, the two representatives answered questions from the GDVC’s departments and local customs departments.
By Thai Binh/Ngoc Loan